Cushion-tread for vehicles.



H. P. P. WEST. CUSHION TREAD FOR VEHICLES. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 28, 1912,

1,045,485. Patented Nov 26, 1912.

HENRY P, P. WEST, OF SAN FRANCISCQCALIFOBNIA.

CUSHION-TREAD FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed March 28, 1912. Serial No. 686,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. P. Wns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county ot San Francisco and State ot California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cushion- Treads tor Vehicles, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydro-pneumatic cushion wheels ot the type in which the inner ends of the spokes are provided with pistons reciprocal in cylinders cast integral with the rim or telly.

The object of this invention is to produce a resilient or elastic wheel so constructed that the resiliency may be controlled by the flow ot a liquid from one cylinder to an other, the fluid flow to be regulated by suitably constructed valves located between the different cylinders.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more tully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross section of same.

Referring to the drawings, A is a hub provided with spokes 2, and a hollow rim 3; said rim carrying a series of radially disposed cylinders 4, in which are reciprocal pistons v, 5 and piston rods 6, extending through stufling boxes 7 To the outer ends ot the rods are attached links 8, which links are connected together and extend around the periphery ot the wheel to torm a rim tor the reception of a resilient tire or tread 9.

A continuous annular chamber 10, designed to contain a suitable liquid, is tormed in the rim 3 and connects with each of the cylinders t through valve controlled port-s 11. The valves 12, controlling the ports 11 are ot the conical type, and are designed to be automatically operated to vary the area of the port openings 11, as the wheel revolves. Mounted on the end ot the valve stem is a disk 13, carrying a pin 1A projecting through the disk and engageable with a spring 15,.which normally holds the valve in a predetermined adjusted position which is determined by the position ot lugs 16, engageable with projections or lugs 17 on the disk. The opposite end of the pin is adapted to be actuated by a cam track 18, mounted on the vehicle body 19. The cam track 18 is so disposed adjacent the upper portion of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 1, and in such position that as the wheel revolves the pins let will be engaged by the cam to operate the valve to enlarge the area of the ports.

In operation the pistons 5 in the cylinders 4 at the lowermost portion ot the wheel, will practically carry the weight ot the vehicle, causing the pistons to force the liquid in the cylinders through the reduced ports 11, into the annular chamber 10 trom which it is distributed into the various cylinders throughout the periphery of the wheel. The ports in the uppermost portion of the wheel, being of larger area than those ot the lowermost portion ot the wheel, having been opened by the turning of the valve caused by the engagement ot the pin 14 with the cam track, will permit the tree flow ot the fluid trom the chamber 10 into the cylinders 4 at this point to recharge these. It will thus be seen that when a cylinder again returns to the lower portion ot the wheel it will be fully charged; the resiliency ot the wheel being controlled by the area at the discharge ports 11, causing more or less resistance to the discharge ot the liquid trom the cylinder into the annular chamber 10.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A hydro-pneumatic wheel comprising in combination an outer flexible flanged rim consisting of links fitted between the flanges of said rim, rods carried by the links of the outer flexible rim, pistons on said rods, an inner hollow telly, an annular reservoir and a plurality of cylinders in said hollow telly; said pistons adapted to reciprocate in the cylinders and valve means controlling the flow ot a fluid between the cylinders and the reservoir.

2. A hydro-pneumatic wheel comprising in combination an outer flexible flanged rim consisting of links fitted between the flanges inner hollow felly an annular reservoir and In testimony whereof I have hereunto set a plurality of cylinders in said hollow felly; my hand in the presence of tWo subscribing said pistons adapted to reciprocate in the Witnesses.

cylinders, means controlling the flow of a HENRYQP, f1 WEST. fluid between the cylinders and the reservoir Witnesses:

and valve means automatically increasing JOHN H. HERRING,

or decreasing the Valve opening. DANIEL MCPHEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. G. 

